Recipe brings back memories of dining at Ho Toy

By Cathey Noell

Published: Wednesday, July 9, 2014 at 08:11 AM.

Years ago, there was an Asian restaurant in Charlotte on Central Avenue called The Ho Toy. Although the restaurant itself was small, it did have large booths and a bar with chairs covered in a mint green colored vinyl, and the trim, of course, was silver chrome. The lighting was florescent and very retro.

The restaurant was a busy place. Once you ordered, the waiter or waitress would bring your dish to the table with a metal dome covering your plate. The server would then dramatically remove the dome revealing your beautifully made dish. It was so fancy, and I was always amazed at how exotic the food tasted.

Of course, I was a little girl and coming from a large family we didn’t get to go out to eat very often. Occasionally, we would go to a fish camp or a drive-in movie, so the Asian restaurant was always considered a special treat.

That’s why I vividly remember the first dish I ordered there. It was Sukiyaki, a traditional Japanese dish. I still remember having to learn to say the word and practicing it before we arrived. When the dome was removed, I remember all the ingredients piled high on the plate, beef strips combined with different types of vegetables that I had never seen before.

I must admit, as a child I was very skeptical and apprehensive about eating it at first, but by the time I had taken two to three bites, I loved it!

I loved the crunch of the water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and the bean sprouts. I loved the salty-sweet taste of the soy sauce, honey and beef stock that made the sauce. Combined with the beef, celery, green onions and Napa cabbage, it tasted heavenly.

I also knew that eventually I would talk my Mom into recreating this fancy and exotic dish at home. And she did. Although, back in the day when Mom made it, you couldn’t find the Napa cabbage, dried mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts or the bean sprouts, so she would use regular cabbage, celery, carrots and onions. Somehow she made her recipe work and occasionally would swap out different types of meat to use, depending on what she had on hand.

With the recipe I now use, you can try different meats and vegetables. Shrimp, chicken or pork can be used, just use the same amount listed for the beef. Give this recipe a try; it’s still a keeper in our house.

Sukiyaki

1½ pounds of flank steak

1 cup green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup celery, thinly sliced

1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced

5 cups Napa cabbage, thinly sliced

1 can (5 ounces) water chestnuts, drained and thinly sliced

1 can (5 ounces) bamboo shoots, drained

1½ cups fresh bean sprouts

¼ cup soy sauce (low-sodium)

1 Tbs. honey

½ cup beef broth

3 Tbs. vegetable oil

Trim any fat from the meat and thinly slice it on the diagonal. (Partially freeze beef before slicing for best results.) Before beginning to cook, arrange sliced meat and vegetables on a large plate or platter, or in bowls pre-cut for use. Combine the soy sauce, honey and the beef stock in a small bowl and mix.

In a large cast-iron skillet or electric skillet or wok, heat the oil until hot, but not smoking. Add the beef strips and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, or just until browned. Pour soy sauce mixture over beef and cook until mixture bubbles. Push meat to one side of skillet.

Add green onions and cook and stir over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Push to one side and repeat the process with celery, and then with the mushrooms. Add in cabbage and cook and stir until heated through. Repeat with water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and then the bean sprouts. Stir until all is combined. Serve immediately over rice or rice noodles. Makes about 6 servings.

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Years ago, there was an Asian restaurant in Charlotte on Central Avenue called The Ho Toy. Although the restaurant itself was small, it did have large booths and a bar with chairs covered in a mint green colored vinyl, and the trim, of course, was silver chrome. The lighting was florescent and very retro.

The restaurant was a busy place. Once you ordered, the waiter or waitress would bring your dish to the table with a metal dome covering your plate. The server would then dramatically remove the dome revealing your beautifully made dish. It was so fancy, and I was always amazed at how exotic the food tasted.

Of course, I was a little girl and coming from a large family we didn’t get to go out to eat very often. Occasionally, we would go to a fish camp or a drive-in movie, so the Asian restaurant was always considered a special treat.

That’s why I vividly remember the first dish I ordered there. It was Sukiyaki, a traditional Japanese dish. I still remember having to learn to say the word and practicing it before we arrived. When the dome was removed, I remember all the ingredients piled high on the plate, beef strips combined with different types of vegetables that I had never seen before.

I must admit, as a child I was very skeptical and apprehensive about eating it at first, but by the time I had taken two to three bites, I loved it!

I loved the crunch of the water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and the bean sprouts. I loved the salty-sweet taste of the soy sauce, honey and beef stock that made the sauce. Combined with the beef, celery, green onions and Napa cabbage, it tasted heavenly.

I also knew that eventually I would talk my Mom into recreating this fancy and exotic dish at home. And she did. Although, back in the day when Mom made it, you couldn’t find the Napa cabbage, dried mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts or the bean sprouts, so she would use regular cabbage, celery, carrots and onions. Somehow she made her recipe work and occasionally would swap out different types of meat to use, depending on what she had on hand.

With the recipe I now use, you can try different meats and vegetables. Shrimp, chicken or pork can be used, just use the same amount listed for the beef. Give this recipe a try; it’s still a keeper in our house.

Sukiyaki

1½ pounds of flank steak

1 cup green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup celery, thinly sliced

1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced

5 cups Napa cabbage, thinly sliced

1 can (5 ounces) water chestnuts, drained and thinly sliced

1 can (5 ounces) bamboo shoots, drained

1½ cups fresh bean sprouts

¼ cup soy sauce (low-sodium)

1 Tbs. honey

½ cup beef broth

3 Tbs. vegetable oil

Trim any fat from the meat and thinly slice it on the diagonal. (Partially freeze beef before slicing for best results.) Before beginning to cook, arrange sliced meat and vegetables on a large plate or platter, or in bowls pre-cut for use. Combine the soy sauce, honey and the beef stock in a small bowl and mix.

In a large cast-iron skillet or electric skillet or wok, heat the oil until hot, but not smoking. Add the beef strips and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, or just until browned. Pour soy sauce mixture over beef and cook until mixture bubbles. Push meat to one side of skillet.

Add green onions and cook and stir over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Push to one side and repeat the process with celery, and then with the mushrooms. Add in cabbage and cook and stir until heated through. Repeat with water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and then the bean sprouts. Stir until all is combined. Serve immediately over rice or rice noodles. Makes about 6 servings.